Anti - friction bearing for roller-skates



(No Model.)

G. D. BURTON.

ANTI-FRICTION BEARING FOR ROLLER SKATES.

No. 329,435. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

WITNEEIEIEE flflmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. BURTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ANTI-FRICTION BEARING FOR ROLLER-SKATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,435, dated November3, 1885.

Application filed February 24, 1885. Serial No. 156,846.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. BURTON, of Boston, county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Anti- FrictionBearings for Roller-Skates, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters onthe drawings representing like parts.

My invention, relating to roller-skates, has for its object to reducethe friction of the bearing-surfaces between the rotating rollers andsole-plate or body of the skate, and to provide a hearing which will runsmoothly and without U wear without the employment of lubricants.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination of thesole-plate or body of the skate with roller-pedestals mounted to rockoninclined axes with relation to the sole-plate, and provided with boxeshaving one or more annular recesses surrounding the axle of the rollers,into which are inserted balls or rollers which turn freely between theaxle and the box or recess in the pedestal, thus causing the axle toturn with rolling friction instead of rubbing friction.

The skate-rollers may either be fixed upon their axles so that bothrollers of each pair are compelled to turn in unison, or they may beloosely mounted on the said axles in the usual manner, in which casewhen the axle is in use it will turn with the rollers rather than thelatter turning upon astationary axle, as most commonly practiced inroller-skates.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roller-skate embodying this invention,one of the rollers being removed and the axle shown in section. Fig. 2is a substantially vertical section on line 00 on, Fig. 1, through oneof the pairs of rolls and bearing-pedestal Fig. 3, a perspective view ofone of the bearing-pedestals and a portion of the bearing taken apartFigs. 4 and 5, sections similar to that of Fig. 2, but showingmodification of the bearing; and Figs. 6 and 7, vertical sectionsthrough the axle and its bearing-box, the former showing the box made intwo parts,and the latter showing the box as made in one part integralwith the pedestal.

The sole-plate or skate-body a and the lugs b beneath the heel and toeportions,to afford a (No model.)

bearing for the pedestal c,may be of usual construction,thesaid pedestalturning on inclined arbors or pivots d in the said lugs b, and normallyheld in a central position by springs e, in the usual manner. Thepedestals c are each provided with a bearing-box, shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3as made in two parts, d d the said parts when fastened together forminga boss,which is bored transversely,to receive the roller-axle g, whichis smaller than the said bore, so that it does not come to a bearingtherein. The said boss or box is provided with one or more internalgrooves, e, shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 as two in number, forming annularchambers around the axle g, in which chambers are placed anti frictionballs or rollers f, which revolve about the axle as it turns, producingrolling friction only on the bearing portions of the axle g and of thebox. As shown in Figs. 2 and 8,the balls are separated from one anotherby recessed rings or cages n, and thin strips of material (shown at k)may be inserted between the two parts of the box, to provide for slightadjustment or variation in the size of the same, so that the balls mayfit properly between the axlesand the boxes.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4,balls are employed to afford the anti-frictionbearing, there being two rows of the said ba1ls,'and the boxes havingtwo corresponding grooves to receive them,while in Fig. 5 the axle hasan antifriction bearing upon rollers f, one row of which only need to beemployed.

As shown in Figs.4 and 5,the balls or rollers occupy the entire spacearound the axles,and the said boxes may,if desired,be made in one piece,the axle being inserted up to one of the grooves, and then the rollsdropped in from the other end of the box, when by pushing the axlethrough the balls will be held in place between the axle and the balls.This forms an extremely simple and durable bearing. A portion of thematerial of the box may be removed between the two rows of balls, asshown in Fig. 4.

The rollers h of the skate may either be fixed upon the axle g, as shownin Figs. 2 and 5, in which case both will turn together like the wheelsof a railway-car, or they may be loosely fastened upon the axles, asshown in too Fig. 4, in which case they may turn independently of theaxles to accommodate the difference in movement of the rollers whenmoving in curved lines; but this independent movement of the rollerswill be small and the friction and wear between the rollers and axleswill be only very slight, as the axles'will accompany the rollers in thechief part' of their rotary movement.

The rubbing or wearing friction is very small in bearings of this kind,so thatno lubricant is required, thus obviating the soiling of theskates and garments of the wearersQ In case, however, it is desired touse a lubricant to diminish the friction of the balls or rollers uponone another or upon the separating-cage n, the box may' be provided witha suitable oil-cup,'as'shown at 19, Fig; 2, and with an outroller-skateswith balls arranged in recesses 3 v in their roller-pedestals to formanti-friction bearings for the'rollers; but inevery instance of suchconstruetion'to me known theballs are held in plac'e'by' a separatedetachable cover,which is liable to work loose and cause loss of theballs,while in myconstr'uction by boring out a recess in the solidsubstance of the pedestal and dropping the balls into such recessesthrough the axle-hole I am enabled to dispense with attached plates andto make a muchmore secure construction.

I claim a l. The axle and its attached wheels or rollers, combined witha pedestal having a transverse bore of a diameter slightly in excess ofthat of the axle to receive said axle, and provided with internalgrooves opening into said bore, and with anti-friction devices placed insaid grooves andrheld against displacement in one direction by the axleand against displacement in all other directions by the substance of thepedestal itself: when said axle is secured in the bore in said pedestal,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a roller-skate, a roller-pedestal having the axle bearing boxintegral therewith, bored transversely and provided with one or moreinternal grooves aroundthe said bore, combined with a roller-axleextending'throngh the said bore, and anti-friction balls or rollers inthe said groove,surrounding and constituting the bearing for the saidaxle, substantially as described.

3. A bearingpedestal transversely bored and provided with internalgrooves,combined with the roller andaxle extending through the saidbore, and anti friction balls or rollers arranged in said grooves'andsupporting and in In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscrihin g witnesses.

GEO. D. BURTON.

Witnesses:

E. F. PERKINS, ALLSTON O. LADD.

